


Light In The Hallway

by MaeTaurus



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, Original Character Death(s), Underage Masturbation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 20:58:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16840300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaeTaurus/pseuds/MaeTaurus
Summary: Dan and Phil have a bond that allows them to feel things the other feels. So when Dan starts to get abused, Phil can feel every punch and scratch. He worries about the boy with the brown eyes that he’s only ever seen in his dreams; the boy that was made for him, that the universe had created just for him to be his perfect match, his soulmate.





	1. You Are Not Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr on January 10, 2016.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Phil have a bond that allows them to feel things the other feels. So when Dan starts to get abused, Phil can feel every punch and scratch. He worries about the boy with the brown eyes that he’s only ever seen in his dreams; the boy that was made for him, that the universe had created just for him to be his perfect match, his soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr on January 10, 2016.

~Wednesday, August 21, 2002~

Soulmates had a very special bond, one that allowed them to feel what the other was feeling. Before soulmates meet each other, this bond is usually weak and can only be felt during times of extreme emotion or sensation. However as the pair grow closer, the bond strengthens and allows for the two connected soulmates to have a strong empathetic link that allows them to feel more of what the other feels. This link begins to form as soon as both soulmates are born but is usually not felt until the youngest is three years of age.

Phil could remember the very first time he’d ever felt any sort of connection between him and his soulmate. He was four and was sitting on a stool helping his mother bake cookies, though he was just playing with the dough, when he felt a sharp pain above his lip. “Owie!” he screamed.

After careful examination from his mother, she insisted that nothing was wrong with Phil. That was when Phil first learned about soulmates. Phil’s mum sat him down and told Phil that for every single person on the planet, there was someone out there made just for them.

“So who is it?” Phil asked, very curious about who was his soulmate.

Phil’s mum ruffled Phil’s hair and smiled. “You’ll have to find them. But don’t get too caught up in the idea of finding your soulmate, it could take a while. I didn’t meet mine until I was twenty years old,” she told Phil. “And you’re only four. So how long do you have?”

He thought for a minute, a very serious look on his face. “Five years?” Phil held up four fingers.

“A little longer than that,” she laughed. “More like sixteen.” She kissed Phil’s forehead and took advantage of Phil not paying attention to finish the cookies.

Phil couldn’t wrap his young mind around how long sixteen years was. It seemed like such a long time for him.

***

~Saturday, January 31, 2004~

“Mummy! Daddy! Wake up!” Phil shouted. He’d run into his parents’ room early that morning, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s my birthday! My party is today!” He jumped onto their bed and started hopping up and down. Phil felt hands grab him and pull him down onto the bed. He squealed and laughed as he was tickled by his dad.

“Your party isn’t for another,” his dad started, pausing to look at the clock, “Seven hours. And Cassie won’t be here for another five hours, we have plenty of time.”

Phil’s mum got up and headed downstairs to start making Phil his special birthday breakfast which consisted of chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Although Phil’s birthday had been the day before, they were celebrating it today with Cassie, Phil’s best friend, since her birthday was only four days after Phil’s. Their parents had agreed to have one party for the two of them, just like they had last year.

Phil was holding his dad’s hand and was trying to drag him out of bed. “Come on,” he whined. “I’m hungry!” He grinned when his dad got up and started jumping up and down with excitement. “Daddy hurry!” Phil yanked his hand as hard as he could, trying to pull him towards the door.

His dad leaned down and finally picked Phil up and carried him downstairs. Phil giggled happily and held onto his dad’s neck. “Oof,” he said when he was placed down in his seat at the table. “Yay! Pancakes!” Phil exclaimed. He waited impatiently for his parents to sit down before he dug in, getting whipped cream all over his face but not even pausing.

Phil was bouncing off the walls for the next hour from the sugar before he eventually fell asleep on the couch. His mum pulled a blanket over Phil and let him sleep for a few hours while she and her husband started setting up for the party.

It was finally time for their friends to arrive so Phil and Cassie went to stand outside in the yard to wait for them, their parents standing close by.

Phil held Cassie’s hand as they waited. He sometimes got teased by the boys in his class for doing this but Phil didn’t mind, Cassie was his best friend and he liked holding her hand.

“Wanna know a secret?” Cassie whispered to Phil.

Phil looked at her with big eyes and nodded. “Yeah!”

She giggled and blushed. “Mike is coming today,” Cassie said.

Phil frowned and tilted his head. “That isn’t a secret. He told me that last week,” he said, feeling confused.

“The secret is that I’m glad he’s coming,” she said softer than before.

“What?!” Phil exclaimed, forgetting that he should be whispering. “Ow!” He rubbed his arm where Cassie had hit him.

“Shh,” Cassie scolded. “It’s a secret, remember?”

Phil nodded. “Sorry. So you have a crush on Mike?” he asked, keeping his voice low this time.

Cassie’s cheeks turned bright red and she couldn’t meet Phil’s gaze. “Maybe. And don’t tell anyone but I think he’s my soulmate,” she whispered excitedly.

He looked at her suspiciously. “What? No he isn’t,” Phil said, not believing her.

Cassie huffed and pouted. “You don’t know that. Maybe he is,” she said. Cassie peeked at Phil and smiled. “I hope it’s you.”

“What? What’s me?”

“I hope you’re my soulmate. Wouldn’t that be great? It would be so much fun!” Cassie said, grinning again now.

Phil giggled and nudged her. “Maybe I am,” he said with a smile, thinking about how much fun it would be to spend his whole life with his best friend.

***

~Tuesday, November 13, 2007~

The curiosity of who his soulmate could be never left Phil even though it was five years before he felt anything else from their link.

“Ouch!” Phil cried out suddenly.

He was sat in the middle of his history class trying to remember which King had six wives when he felt like he’d been punched in the tummy.

“Philly? Are you okay?” his best friend, Cassie, asked softly from the seat next to his.

“Philip? What’s the matter?” his teacher, Mrs. Sanders, asked. She walked over to him and kneeled down by his table. “Are you hurt?”

Phil nodded and hugged his stomach. He nearly fell out of his chair when he felt another punch, this time to his back. “It hurts, Miss! It hurts!”

This time, Mrs. Sanders knew what was happening. “Come on, love. Let’s get you to the nurse’s office.” She stood up and held her hand out for Phil to take.

He wiped tears from his cheeks and took her hand, walking with her to see the school nurse.

“Mr. Binns,” Mrs. Sanders said, addressing the school nurse. “Philip Lester’s soulmate was hurt. Call his mother and get her to pick him up.”

Mr. Binns smiled and nodded. “Of course.” He pulled out Phil’s file and flipped through it. “Where does it hurt Philip?”

Phil sat down in a chair across from the nurse’s desk and sniffed, arms still around his stomach. “It’s Phil, sir. And it hurts a lot in my tummy and in my back,” he said softly.

“Has this ever happened before?” Mr. Binns inquired.

He shook his head and thanked Mrs. Sanders for the tissue she handed him. “N-no. Well one time when I was four but it wasn’t like this.” Phil could feel how sad his soulmate was and knew that somewhere in the world was someone in pain and crying just like he was. The thought made Phil even more upset and he started to properly cry.

“It’ll be alright,” his teacher comforted, rubbing his arm gently. “I’m sure your soulmate is just fine.” Mrs. Sanders grabbed a small purple bucket off the desk and held it out to Phil. “Do you want a sweet?”

Phil smiled and gave her a small nod.

“What’s your favourite flavour?” she asked.

“Green,” Phil hiccuped. Mrs. Sanders reached into the bucket and pulled out a green sweet, handing it to Phil.

Mr. Binns hung up the phone and looked at Phil. “Your mum is on her way. You can wait here for her and another student can bring your things here.”

Phil looked up at the nurse and nodded.

“I’ll send Cassie with your bag,” Mrs. Sanders smiled.

He waited with Mr. Binns for his mum to arrive to take him home. Phil sat there and thought about his soulmate and what could’ve happened to him. He’d never been punched before but that’s what it felt like, like he’d been punched in the stomach, so Phil figured that must’ve been what happened. But what he couldn’t figure out was why someone would ever want to hurt his soulmate.

Phil was lost in his thoughts and didn’t hear his mum’s voice as she was led down the hall by one of the office ladies. “Phil! Are you alright sweetheart?” she exclaimed when she saw Phil sitting in a chair crying.

He looked up at his mum and wiped his tears. “My soulmate was hurt. And now they’re sad. And I’m sad too,” Phil whined.

“Oh honey, I know. Let’s get you home so you can rest up, alright? And we can even stop for ice cream if you want,” she offered.

Phil couldn’t help but smile. His mum only ever let him eat ice cream Friday nights after dinner or on a special occasion like a birthday. Friday was the one day a week where he could eat foods that weren’t healthy like pizza and ice cream. But today wasn’t Friday which meant it must be a special occasion. Phil nodded at her. “Yes please.”

Phil’s mum took Phil by the hand and walked with him out to the car then headed home after picking up some ice cream on the way.

After two scoops of ice cream, Phil was feeling much better. His mum let him pick out any flavour and toppings that he wanted so he went for one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of strawberry with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. Phil never got to have sprinkles at home so he made sure to ask for extra sprinkles.

He could feel his mood lift significantly, especially when he could feel that his soulmate wasn’t sad anymore.

***

~Thursday, May 7, 2009~

Three months after Phil turned eleven, he woke up in the middle of the night, the bed slightly damp from him sweating. Phil reached over to turn on the lamp beside his bed and threw the covers off him, too hot to be under them.

He’d had a strange dream, unlike any he’d had before. Phil remembered seeing curly brown hair with a matching pair of eyes; he hadn’t seen any other features of the person in his dream, just the hair and eyes. It was as if Phil had been staring at the person up close for too long and everything else around them blurred. He wasn’t sure who was in his dream but he was certain it was a boy, a boy he felt like he knew better than anyone.

Twenty minutes later and Phil was still wide awake, unable to stop thinking about the mysterious boy from his dream. He knew it wasn’t someone he’d seen before; he was certain he would’ve recognized those eyes. Yet Phil couldn’t help but feel like he’d known the boy his whole life, almost like it was his- yes, that has to be it. Phil had just dreamt of his soulmate.

He remembered his dad talking to him a few months before his birthday, explaining that it was common for soulmates to dream of each other once they hit puberty. Often soulmates feature in many dreams. Even if two soulmates had never caught sight of one another, distinct features somehow still made their way into dreams. Some say this is just coincidence but some think it’s because a pair of matching souls are always linked and will always know the other, even before meeting.

Now Phil was certain that he hadn’t met his soulmate in real life yet, not even seen him before. There was no doubt in Phil’s mind about this now. For years he’d wondered who his soulmate was and if they’d met before. He tried not to obsess over it but Phil found himself looking at everyone he saw in public, hoping that somehow he would just know if it was his soulmate. But now Phil knew what to look for; dark brown hair that curled at the ends and was messy in the cutest way and a set of brown eyes, one a chocolate brown with flecks of caramel and the other a shade darker that looked more like caramel with chocolate flecks.

Phil looked at his clock beside his bed and saw he had a little under an hour before he needed to be up for school. He knew there was no way he would be able to sleep now that he’d seen his soulmate, even if it was just in a dream.

When his alarm went off, Phil quickly turned it off and got dressed before going down to have breakfast with his mum; his dad was on a business trip and would be back later that week. Phil couldn’t wait to get to school and tell Cassie about his dream when he got to school.

“Good morning Phil, sleep well?” his mum greeted cheerfully as she handed Phil a plate of eggs and toast.

He sat at the table and started eating. “Yeah, I slept really good. I had a dream about my soulmate last night,” Phil said offhandedly.

She smiled and sat across from him. “Oh? How can you be so sure it was your soulmate?”

“His eyes are like out of this world or something. I’ve never seen them before but I recognized them somehow. They’re brown, which everyone says is boring, but they’re so unique. One is a little bit darker than the other but they still match. They’re just so pretty, mum,” Phil babbled.

His mum smiled and nodded at Phil, having no doubt that Phil’s instincts were right and he had in fact dreamt of his soulmate. “So your soulmate is a boy?” Phil just nodded, too busy shoving toast in his mouth to respond. “How do you feel about that, sweetie?”

Phil just shrugged. “It doesn’t really make a difference. Does it?” he hadn’t even thought twice about his soulmate being a boy but now he was worried.

“No no, of course not. There’s nothing wrong with your soulmate being a boy. I think it’s wonderful,” she said happily.

He let out a sigh of relief, glad that it was okay for him to have a boy soulmate.

***

~Monday, January 16, 2012~

“Phil sweetie, you need to wake up,” Phil’s mum said softly, shaking Phil awake.

“Wh-what? What’s going on?” Phil sat up in bed and glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was three in the morning. She cupped Phil’s cheek and smiled sadly at him. Phil noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Mum? What happened?” he asked, starting to worry.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before looking at Phil. “It’s Cassie. Her dad just called me. There was an accident last night and Cassie was badly hurt. She’s been in surgery all night but, sweetie, Cassie didn’t make it.”

Phil shook his head, not wanting to believe what his mum was saying.

“Her mum was killed instantly. The other car…” Phil saw his mum’s lips moving but he didn’t hear the rest of what she said. His best friend was dead. He couldn’t believe it; he didn’t want to. How could Cassie be gone? They were supposed to celebrates their fourteenth birthdays together in two weeks. Phil loved having a best friend whose birthday was only a few days after his; it was like having a twin. But now Cassie was gone and he would have to celebrate his birthday alone.

Phil’s mum shook Phil’s shoulder to get his attention. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll turn off your alarm for you, you can take the day off from school.”

He just nodded numbly at her, hearing her but not quite understanding what she was saying.

Phil watched his mum turn his alarm off before she got up and left his room, turning the light off and closing the door.

He waited until he could hear her bedroom door shut before he got up and grabbed a pink bear off of the chair in the corner of his room. Phil crawled back into bed and hugged the bear close to his chest. Cassie had given him the bear for his fifth birthday; the first birthday they celebrated together. He’d named it Wellington as a joke at first but the name stuck and after a while Phil grew fond of the name.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” Phil muttered aloud to his empty room. “Cassie.” He felt a lump in his throat and closed his eyes, letting the tears fall freely. Phil tried to keep quiet but soon he was sobbing loudly into the bear, the soft fur was getting wet from his tears but he didn’t care.

Phil cried for the next hour, alternating between loud sobs that shook his body and silent, hot tears that rolled down his cheeks in steady streams. Eventually he fell asleep, Wellington still clutched tightly in his arms.

***

~Friday, April 24, 2015~

The next time Phil remembers feeling that sad was when he was seventeen. Phil was in PE playing some insignificant sport that he didn’t even know the name of.

“Holy shit!” Phil shouted. He usually wasn’t one to swear but the sudden pain he felt in his ribs was unbearable.

“Philip Lester!” his teacher scolded. The muscular gym teacher walked over to Phil and opened his mouth to yell at Phil but as he got closer he saw the look of pain on Phil’s face. “Phil? Are you alright?”

Phil hadn’t even heard his teacher shouting and was oblivious to the fact that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were all staring at him.

“Phil,” Coach Baker said, his voice filled with concern.

His arms were wrapped around his stomach, wishing the pain would go away. “Fuck!” Phil shouted again when he felt the pain intensify, another sharp stab to his gut. Pain hit Phil in the back of one of his knees causing him to fall over.

Coach Baker reached out and grabbed Phil’s arm, catching him just in time before Phil’s head hit the gym floor. He gently lowered Phil to the ground and looked towards one of the other students. “Go get the nurse. Now!” He looked back down at Phil who now had tears streaming down his cheeks.

“My soulmate,” Phil whispered. “He’s hurting.” Over the years Phil had gotten used to this; feeling like he was getting punched and kicked when nobody was within reach of him. He’d known immediately that the pain he felt in his gut was due to his soulmate getting hurt and it broke his heart to know that somewhere out there the person he was destined to be with was in as much pain as he was right now.

“This has happened before?” Coach Baker asked. “You’ve felt your soulmate getting hurt in the past?”

Phil just nodded and closed his eyes, trying to fight off the pain as blow after blow was delivered to his soulmate. “Never this bad though. Oh god-” Phil broke off into loud sobs, the pain unbearable. He was aware of being lifted off the ground as Coach Baker picked him up and carried him out of the gym but could remember nothing after that.

Twenty minutes later Phil woke up and looked around for a minute before realizing he was laying on a cushioned table in the nurse’s office. “Wh-” he winced and shut his mouth, deciding that it wasn’t a good idea to speak; his throat felt like it was on fire, probably from all the crying.

“Phil, you’re awake! How are you feeling? Here, have some water,” a voice said from out of Phil’s line of vision. Phil sat up and realized it was his mum sitting at the end of the table in a chair. He gave her a small smile as he took the bottle of water from her and gulped down the water.

“Feel better?” she asked softly, eyeing him worriedly.

Phil shrugged and nodded. He cleared his throat before he tried to speak again. His voice came out as only a whisper, “I’m worried about him mum. He was really hurt. I think his ribs are broken or something.” Phil wasn’t a doctor but judging by how much pain he felt, he would’ve been shocked if his soulmate’s ribs were intact after that.

She nodded and gave him a sad smile. “I know sweetheart, and I wish I could do more to help. But there’s no way of us finding out who your soulmate is. It wasn’t anyone at this school, we know that. But there’s no real way of us finding out who it is.”

He nodded, letting out a soft sigh. “I just want to find him and save him. I want to protect him from ever getting hurt like that ever again.” Phil looked up at his mum. “I swear, I will find him one day and when I do, I’m never letting him out of my sight ever again.”

Later that night Phil was in the shower when he started to cry unexpectedly. He felt so worthless and depressed- two emotions he knew didn’t belong to himself.

Phil finished his shower and got ready for bed quickly before curling up under the covers. The sadness was still there. He closed his eyes and pictured a sad boy with brown hair and the chocolate caramel eyes he remembered so clearly from his dreams. Phil had dreamt of those eyes almost everyday for the past six years and now had them memorized.

He sighed aloud and stared up at the ceiling. Phil wanted nothing more than to look into those eyes and hold the boy they belonged to. To wipe away his tears and make him feel safe and loved.

Phil tried to focus on happy thoughts, hoping that some of that happiness would transfer to his soulmate and make him feel better. It was the only thing Phil could do for him.

This happened a few times a week for the next three months. Phil missed a lot of school; staying home because he was in too much pain. After a month, his mum took his to a doctor who prescribed Phil with some mild painkillers to help ease the phantom pain he felt. They helped with the physical pain but it didn’t stop the sadness he felt from his soulmate, and that was much worse.

***

~Thursday, June, 11, 2015~

Phil groans as he’s woken up just after midnight on June 11th. He’s not sure what woke him up but he has an exam in the morning and he really doesn’t need this.

He gasps and jerks away from a strange sensation on his crotch. “What the-” Phil pulls the blankets away but doesn’t see anything there.

There it is again. “Oh,” he moans softly. That strange wet feeling on his dick, almost like a… Realization hits Phil. His soulmate is getting a blowjob.

Phil lays back down and closes his eyes, still feeling mildly freaked out but not as panicked as before.

It occurs to Phil that he should probably be annoyed that someone else is touching his soulmate but they hadn’t even met yet and it wasn’t uncommon for people to experience things with others before settling down with their soulmate. Phil finds he isn’t angry or hurt, in fact he’s rather enjoying this.

He wonders if his soulmate would be able to feel anything if he touched himself right now, seeing as their link was clearly active. Phil decides he might as well try, strictly as an experiment of course.

Phil reaches into his pajama bottoms and ignores his growing erection since it’s obvious that’s getting enough attention already. He fondles his balls gently, rolling them in his hand and giving them a slight tug. Phil feels a spark of pleasure that isn’t his own and hopes that he caused that. Okay so maybe Phil is a little jealous that someone else is touching his soulmate.

He tugs a bit harder this time and moans, feeling his own pleasure and the pleasure of his soulmate. Everything he felt was being doubled and it made Phil’s head spin.

Phil pauses for a moment to reach over to his bedside table. He fumbles but easily finds the small bottle he’s looking for and opens it, hearing a small pop as he flipped the cap open. Phil pours some of the liquid onto his fingers and licks his lips, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. He’d never done this before so he’s not quite sure why he has the urge to do it now, though he thinks it might be another feeling he’s getting from his soulmate.

Careful not to get any lube on his sheets, he props one knee up and reaches down. Phil gasps when he feels the cold substance against his rim and closes his eyes, trying not to think about how weird this is.

He circles his finger slowly a few times to try and get used to it then suddenly starts to push it in, a strong desire to hurry up taking over. Phil bites his tongue to keep from moaning, though the pleasure he feels is mostly not his own. To Phil, this feels strange and awkward, though not entirely bad. But to Phil’s soulmate, it feels amazing.

Phil can still feel a mouth over his cock even though he knows for a fact he’s alone. It’s odd but only encourages Phil to keep going. He pushes his finger in all the way and lets out a sigh, feeling pleasure of his own now.

“Oh fuck,” he moans quietly to himself.

After another minute Phil gains the courage to add a second finger. He no longer feels discomfort of any kind now, just his own pleasure and his soulmate’s. Phil’s two fingers curl inside him and Phil feels like the air rushes out of his lungs as intense pleasure slams into his body.

Phil isn’t sure who’s orgasm he feels first but after just a few more seconds of rubbing the sensitive nerves inside of himself, Phil feels an orgasm rip through his body. Pleasure crashes over Phil and he feels as if he’s in the ocean and waves keep coming, dragging him further under into a sea of pleasure. He’s never felt this good before, simultaneously feeling his own and his soulmate’s orgasms at the same time.

It takes him a few minutes to recover but he finally does and Phil groans as he pulls his two fingers out. He looks down sees the mess he’s made on his stomach. Phil grabs some tissues and cleans himself off, throwing the used tissues into the bin next to his bed. He falls back asleep quickly, completely worn out and exhausted.

***

~Saturday, June 13, 2015~

June 13, 2015 was the worst day of Phil’s life.

Exams were finally finished and they were all entering their final year of school before they headed off to uni. Since school had ended so Phil had gone out with friends to celebrate the previous night and had spent the night at a friend’s house and planned to spend the entire day with all of his friends. It was a time to celebrate.

He woke up late, glad his friend’s parents had let them sleep in. Once Phil finally woke up, it was nearly noon and John was still asleep. Phil took the opportunity to get a quick shower and get dressed before going downstairs to find something to eat for lunch.

An hour later John was driving Phil to meet up with a few of their other friends to go swimming. They spent all day at the beach, all relieved to have the stress of school out of the way and the freedom of summer ahead of them.

It was Phil’s turn to go back to the cooler they’d packed and get everyone another round of drinks. He happily got out of the water and checked his phone after drying his hands, seeing that it was nearly six in the evening. Phil sent a quick text to his mum to let her know they were still at the beach and he would speak with her later.

“Hey Phil! Bring me a beer!” one of his friends shouted from the water.

“I’ll take a soda!”

“Just a water for me!”

Phil grabbed the drinks for his friends and was halfway down the beach when he collapsed in the sand. He felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Phil dropped the drinks and screamed out in pain. He cradled his arm with his other arm and stared down at it, trying to figure out why it hurt so bad.

A few seconds later he felt a punch to his jaw and a kick to his back. Phil realized now that his soulmate was getting hurt.

“Phil!”

“Oh my god!”

Phil heard his friends shout at him from the water but he couldn’t process what he was hearing. Instead he heard screams from people he couldn’t see; people that weren’t there.

“Faggot!”

“Fucking homo!”

“Why don’t you just die?”

He shook his head as he tried to rid himself of the shouts. Phil wasn’t sure what was going on, he’d never experienced anything like this before.

Phil felt hands grabbing at his arms and trying to get him up but he couldn’t see his friends, only seeing blurry faces of who he assumed must be his soulmate’s attackers.

“Stop it! Don’t hurt him! Stop it!” Phil screamed, wishing the link between him and his soulmate would allow for him to scream at the people hurting him. “Leave him alone!”

Phil’s vision went fuzzy and he couldn’t see anything; not his friends in front of him or the people hurting his soulmate. He passed out and fell onto his side in the sand, his friends catching him and preventing him from landing face first.

The next thing Phil was aware of was waking up in the hospital three hours later. He groaned when he opened his eyes, the bright lights hurting his eyes. “Ow,” he whispered, his sore throat preventing him from speaking any louder.

“What hurts sweetie? Is it your head? Or your stomach?” his mum asked, concerned for her son.

“The lights are bright,” Phil said softly. He heard her move around and when he opened his eyes again the room had dimmed; she’d turned off the light above Phil’s head. “Thanks.”

She reached out and brushed Phil’s hair back. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

Phil thought back and it took him a few minutes but the memories came flooding back in. “My soulmate! He- he was hurt! Oh god, mum, what if he isn’t okay?” Phil could feel himself start to panic and heard faint beeps getting louder and closer together as his heart raced.

“Shh, it’s alright. He’s safe now, he’s hurt badly but he’s going to make a full recovery,” she assured him.

“Good- wait, mum how do you know that?” Phil asked, feeling relieved and confused.

“He’s here. You were both brought in within minutes of each other with identical injuries. Of course, you don’t really have injuries but based on what your friends said when they brought you in, you were complaining about pain in the same places he was hurt. And of course there’s the fact that you both experienced a Heightened Soullink.”

Phil frowned at her. “A what?”

“It’s something that occurs when someone is able to see the things their soulmate sees and hear the things their soulmate hears. It’s very rare and only happens when one of the pair is experiencing a traumatic event; but even then the link between two soulmates has to be very strong.” She paused to take a breath before continuing, “Daniel, that’s his name, said that he could hear you screaming. He was telling this to a nurse in the lobby when your friends brought you in and they overheard him and told the nurse that it was you that was screaming.”

“Daniel,” Phil said softly. He finally had a name to put to his soulmate. It seemed to fit him somehow, even if Phil had only ever seen his eyes in a dream.

She nodded and smiled. “Daniel, though he goes by Dan.”

He smiled at his mum. “So he heard me? Did he see things I saw too?”

“He did hear you, but he didn’t see things you saw. Your friends said that you seemed to be seeing things that weren’t really there and the way you spoke, it was like you were talking to someone else. Is that right?”

Phil nodded. “Yeah, I could see the guys that were hurting him. Their faces were really blurry though. And I could hear the names they were calling him, and the other mean things they said. It was weird, I could feel the sand under me but I couldn’t hear or see anything around me. At least not more than faint whispers,” he explained.

His mum nodded as she listened to Phil’s recollection. “That’s what it feels like, a Heightened Soullink.”

“Have you ever had one?” Phil asked her softly.

She shook her head. “No, I’ve only read about them. A close friend of mine in uni experienced one and it was rather frightening to watch.”

Phil nodded and was about to ask her why it was so scary when a man in a long white coat holding a clipboard walked in.

“Philip Lester, I’m Dr. Rosen. I’m treated both you and your soulmate, Daniel Howell. It’s nice to see you’re awake,” the man said, giving Phil a warm smile as he walked over. “How’re you feeling?”

He shrugged and did a mental check-up on himself. “My head still hurts but it’s just a dull ache now. My ribs are sore too, like there’s a faint bruise there,” Phil told him. “But that’s it, I feel fine other than that. Worried about Dan though.”

Dr. Rosen took a few notes and nodded. “Well as far as I can tell you’re fine and some mild painkillers should solve the headache and the pain in your ribs. Did your mum tell you about what you experienced?”

Phil nodded, “Yeah, a Heightened Soullink.”

His doctor nodded in return. “Yes, your soulmate was attacked by three boys about his age. He refuses to give their names or say why the attack occurred. Do you have any information about this?”

Phil thought for a moment and remembered seeing blurry faces of Dan’s attackers. He didn’t know their names but was certain he would be able to recognize them. Phil also remembered the cruel names they called Dan and he could assume that was probably the reason why they were hurting Dan. But if he didn’t say anything then Phil felt he had no right to say anything either. So Phil shook his head and lied. “No Dr. Rosen, I don’t know who the guys were or why they were hurting Dan. I only saw their feet and they didn’t say anything about why they were there.”

Dr. Rosen nodded and sighed, obviously disappointed that Phil couldn’t shed light on the situation. “Alright well I’ll leave you to get dressed. A nurse will be in shortly to show you to Dan’s room. He’s requested to see you.”

“Really? I’m going to meet him?” Phil asked excitedly, heart now pounding in his chest with nerves.

His mum smiled at him and patted Phil’s arm. “Let’s get you up then,” she said, pulling back Phil’s covers and helping him out of bed since Phil was still feeling a little weak and tired. “I’ll be right outside of the door so if you need anything just call,” she said once Phil was standing on his own.

Phil nodded and thanked her for her help then started to get dressed. Thankfully his mum had brought him some spare clothes since he’d come in his swimming trunks. Phil looked at himself in the mirror when he was dressed and was pleasantly surprised with his appearance. He was wearing his favorite pair of black skinny jeans and a blue shirt that brought out his eyes. His hair was messy but not overly so and he thought it actually looked nice. Phil washed his face off in the bathroom sink before going to put on his shoes.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Phil said as he walked out into the corridor and saw his mum chatting with a nurse.

“Right this way Philip. Daniel is in room 219,” the nurse said as she led the way.

Phil couldn’t decide if he was more nervous or excited to see his soulmate for the first time. He listened to the nurse as she reminded Phil that Dan was awake but groggy from the drugs and that he didn’t look his best due to some minor cuts and bruises on his face. Phil nodded at her but wasn’t really paying attention anymore. He didn’t care what Dan looked like, he just wanted to see him.

Finally they approached a door with 219 written on it. Phil thanked the nurse for showing them the way and was relieved when his mum told him she would be in the waiting room and to take his time. He didn’t want an audience, even if it was just his mum.

Phl knocked on the door and heard a voice from inside tell him to come in. He opened the door slowly and peeked his head in. “Dan?” Phil asked, getting the attention of the younger boy on the bed. “I’m Phil, your-”

“Soulmate,” Dan whispered, finishing Phil’s sentence for him. “I’d recognize your eyes anywhere.”

Phil grinned and he walked further into the room after shutting the door behind him. “Really? You’ve dreamt about my eyes too?”

Dan nodded and blushed. “Yeah, almost every night since I was ten,” he confessed. “Oh, you can sit if you want.” Dan nodded towards the chair beside the bed.

He smiled at that and moved over to take the seat. “So I know you’ve probably been asked this a billion times but what happened?”

“You were there,” Dan said softly. “At least, sort of. It was so weird like I could feel you in my head. Suddenly I knew you were seeing and hearing everything that was happening and when you screamed, I- I could hear you.” Dan shook his head as if shaking off the memory. “It was weird.”

Phil nodded in agreement. “Yeah, at first it started out like the other times when you got hurt. But then it changed and everything around me got really blurry and then all I could see was those guys, their fists coming towards you. It made me so angry to just watch it all happen. And the things they said to you…” he trailed off and looked at Dan. “Is that why they did that? Because you like guys?”

Dan nodded and looked at Phil but didn’t quite meet his gaze. “Yeah, they found out what happened on my birthday,” he murmured.

Phil gave Dan a questioning look, not knowing what he was talking about.

“You know, two nights ago when I was getting sucked off and you fingered yourself,” Dan said with a slight smirk.

His eyes widened and his cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “Oh, uh, yeah,” Phil said nervously. He’d almost forgotten about that with everything that had happened today. “So that was on your birthday?”

Dan nodded and it was his turn to blush. “Yeah, it was my birthday present from a friend. Well I guess he’s not actually my friend. But it started off as a joke with him saying he didn’t have money to get me anything but then we just sort of kept going.”

“What do you mean he’s not really your friend?” Phil asked Dan quietly.

He chewed on his lip for a moment. “Well he told those guys what happened. Well not really, he lied about it and said that I begged for it and wouldn’t shut up until he did it. Which isn’t what happened. I thought he was joking when he offered but then we started making out and it just sort of happened and-”

“Dan, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he said, cutting Dan off. “I’m not judging you or anything. You guys fooled around a bit, that isn’t a crime.”

Dan smiled and seemed relieved. He nodded and continued to tell Phil what happened. “Anyways, he told those guys that he sucked me off and I really enjoyed it, which was mostly because of what you did by the way,” Dan said, smirking at Phil again. “But they found out and they took it as proof that I’m gay, which I’m not even sure what I am honestly, and they beat me up.”

Phil blushed at Dan’s comment and smiled, pleased to hear he’d had an effect on Dan even without being there. “Dan, are these the same guys that have been hurting you for the past few years?”

He nodded and looked down, fiddling with the sheets. “Yeah. It’s been getting worse lately though, but I’m sure you know that. My parents decided we’re gonna move to somewhere safer.”

“To where?” Phil asked. It suddenly occurred to him that Dan could be moving across the country and he wouldn’t see him again for years.

“Rawtenstall, Lancashire. Mum said it’s not too far from where we live now, just about an hour. But it’s far enough away that- Phil, why are you grinning like that?”

“Because that’s where I live! We’re gonna be neighbors,” Phil said happily, grinning at Dan like an idiot. “Or at least we’ll live in the same town, which is good enough for me!”

Dan laughed and smiled. “Seriously? That’s great! And it’ll be nice to know someone there, especially since it’s you.”

Phil smiled at Dan and moved the chair a bit closer to the bed so he could hold Dan’s hand. “I can’t wait to show you around. You’ll love all my friends too, they’re really cool. When are you moving?”

Dan’s heart fluttered when Phil hesitantly reached for his hand. He could tell Phil was nervous so he reached his hand out too, linking their fingers together once Phil grabbed his hand. “When I get out of here, so in a week. They have to keep me to make sure my ribs heal and stuff,” he shrugged.

“So they’re broken? I thought they were but I wasn’t really listening to the nurse earlier,” Phil admitted.

“Yeah, two are broken and three are cracked. But they say I’ll be good as new in a few weeks. I’m just glad I didn’t have to have surgery and that it wasn’t too serious.”

Phil squeezed Dan’s hand gently. “Me too.”

They spent the next half hour talking. Phil told Dan about the school Dan would go to, and the places he would take Dan to once he was better. Dan listened to Phil, excited to move now that he knew it was a nice town. Mostly he was just excited to be closer to his soulmate.

After a few more minutes though, Dan could barely keep his eyes open. He tried to stay awake, wanting to keep talking to Phil but it seemed that would have to wait.

“Get some sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up,” Phil said softly, noticing Dan struggling to stay awake. “We can talk more later. For now you just rest up and get better, okay?”

Dan nodded and gave Phil a sleepy smile before giving in and falling asleep, hand still in Phil’s.

Phil had been picturing this moment for as long as he could remember, imagined what it would be like to meet his soulmate for the very first time. Never did he imagine it would be like this. Phil always thought it would be awkward, to talk to someone for the first time that the universe had decided you were supposed to be with. It was romantic in some ways but also weird in others. But he’d never thought it would be like this. Sitting here with Dan felt so normal, so natural, like they’d known each other their whole lives. And in some ways, Phil supposed, they had.


	2. Everything Will Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Phil have a bond that allows them to feel things the other feels. So when Dan starts to get abused, he knows his soulmate can feel every punch and scratch. The only thing that keeps Dan going is dreaming of two beautiful blue eyes that he knew belonged to the boy that was made for him, that the universe had created just for him to be his perfect match, his soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr on February 20, 2016.

~Wednesday, August 21, 2002~

Soulmates had a very special bond, one that allowed them to feel what the other was feeling. Before soulmates meet each other, this bond is usually weak and can only be felt during times of extreme emotion or sensation. However as the pair grow closer, the bond strengthens and allows for the two connected soulmates to have a strong empathetic link that allows them to feel more of what the other feels. This link begins to form as soon as both soulmates are born but is usually not felt until the youngest is three years of age.

“Daniel, honey, please be careful!” Dan’s mum called.

Dan heard her but ignored her and continued to run around the downstairs. He had no clue where he was going or why but he was running around everywhere. In the kitchen, down the hall, into the lounge–Dan just loved to run.

He giggled as he ran, enjoying the freedom he felt. “Mummy! Look at me!” Dan kept saying. “Mummy! Mummy!”

“Yes Daniel, I see you. Now please stop running in the house. You’re going to hurt yourself,” she warned to the toddler.

Dan couldn’t see how he could hurt himself. He was just running after all. That was until- BAM! Dan had turned to see if his mum was looking at him and when he turned his head back around his lip smashed into the coffee table.

“Ow! Ow mummy!” Dan screamed and started to cry. He plopped onto his bum on the floor and cried even harder. “Mummy! Mummy!” Dan screamed louder.

She quickly washed her hands off since she’d been cooking and hurried over to Dan. She picked him up in her arms and carried him into the bathroom.

“Mummy!” Dan continued to scream and cry as he was carried. One hand was covering his mouth which was bleeding. He tried to protest when his mum pulled his hand away but she easily won, moving Dan’s hand so she could get a better look.

“Oh dear, it looks like you split your lip. We’ll need to take you to A&E,” she told Dan.

Dan’s eyes widened. “Noooo!” he whined, not wanting to go anywhere. “Can’t you fix?”

She shook her head and grabbed a cloth. “Here, hold this up to your mouth.” She picked Dan up and carried him out to the car then drove to A&E where Dan was given two small stitches on his upper lip.

***

~Saturday, January 31, 2004~

Dan had been in a terrible mood for a few days. He’d been sick so he’d been grouchy and sad. His mum only let him eat soup, which he hated, and drink warm tea, which he also hated. But when Dan woke up in the morning, he was in the best mood he’d been in since before he’d gotten sick.

“Mummy, can I please have a muffin?” Dan asked his mum after going downstairs and finding her in the kitchen. “I promise I feel better.”

She checked Dan’s temperature and although it was still high, he did seem like he felt better. She nodded and handed him a blueberry muffin. “What’s gotten into you today? You’re in a cheerful mood.”

Dan thanked her and went over to sit at the table to eat. “I dunno mummy, it’s like something inside me is just really happy.”

“Oh?” She went and sat down next to Dan. “Does it feel like someone else is telling you to be happy?”

Dan took a big bite of the muffin and nodded. “Yeah!” he said, mouth full of food. He giggled and finished swallowing before he continued, “Just like that. Like someone else is happy so I’m happy too.”

She smiled and smoothed out Dan’s curly hair. “That would be your soulmate.”

“What’s that?” he asked, having never heard the word before.

“Well, every single one of us has another person that matches us. Someone that we’re meant to be with forever. That person is called a soulmate,” she said. “Usually around your age you begin to feel things that your soulmate feels. So right now, your soulmate is very very happy.”

Dan listened to her carefully, forgetting about his muffin. “So will I always feel what my soulmate feels?”

“No, not always. Only when their emotions are very strong. Or if they’re in a lot of pain you’ll feel the pain too as if you were hurt.”

“That sounds scary.”

His mum laughed softly and smiled. “It can be sometimes. But it’s also wonderful. Nobody else shares the same bond as you do with your soulmate. It’s very special and it’s something you’ll feel for the rest of your lives.”

“Who is it? Who’s my soulmate?” Dan asked.

“Oh honey, I don’t know that. That’s something you’ll find out one day though. But be patient because it usually takes a long time.”

Dan nodded and thought about what his mum said as he finished his muffin. He wondered how long a long time was. Maybe he would find his soulmate after his nap later. That seemed like too long for Dan to wait so he hoped he would find out before his nap.

***

~Tuesday, November 13, 2007~

“Oy! Gay boy!” Dan heard someone shout. He ignored whoever it was and continued walking towards the playground.

“Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you!” Dan felt a hand on his shoulder and was suddenly facing the opposite direction, having been spun around.

He realized the voice must’ve come from John or one of his bully friends. Dan knew the boys were two years ahead of him and had seen them around school but had never talked to them. He’d heard that they were mean and always picked on younger students.

“Why’d you ignore me before?” John spat at him.

“I- I didn’t know you were talking to me,” Dan stuttered.

John laughed and looked at his friends expectantly, smirking when they laughed along with him. “I called your name.”

Dan frowned. He hadn’t heard his name. “No you d-didn’t.”

“Yes I did,” John corrected. “Didn’t you hear me yell ‘gay boy’?” His friends laughed harder.

“That’s not my name. My name is Dan. And I’m not gay,” Dan said, not understanding why these boys thought he was gay.

Dan saw John raise his fist but he wasn’t sure what he was doing. It wasn’t until he felt a pain in his stomach that he realized John was punching him. He fell to the ground and started to cry. He’d never been punched before and it really hurt.

“Shut up. Only gay boys cry,” John insisted. He pushed Dan down onto his back with his foot and two of his friends rolled Dan onto his back.

“Hey! What’re you-” Dan’s question was cut off by his screaming as he felt an even harder punch into his back.

He heard footsteps running away followed by footsteps running towards him. Dan flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder but when it didn’t hurt he looked up.

“Daniel, are you alright?” Mrs. Reaves, Dan’s teacher, asked softly. “What happened?”

Dan sniffled and with her help sat up. He opened his mouth to tell her that the older boys had been mean to him but he saw one of John’s friends lurking nearby. Dan bit his lip and shook his head. “Nothing, I just tripped and fell. I’m okay,” he lied.

She frowned, knowing Dan wasn’t telling the truth. “Are you sure? If someone was mean to you, I can help you. But only if you tell me.”

“I’m sure, I just fell down,” Dan lied again, scared of what John and his friends would do if he told on them.

Mrs. Reaves sighed and nodded. “Come on, let’s get you to the school nurse so you can get cleaned up.”

Dan nodded and stood up with her help. His stomach still hurt and it made it uncomfortable to walk. Dan cried silently the whole way to the nurse’s office. He sat in one of the comfy chairs and listened to his teacher tell the nurse what Dan had told her.

He sat still as the nurse cleaned his face and hands, both of which had scrapes from where he’d been pushed onto the ground outside.

“Do you want to call your mum and see if she can come get you and take you home early?” the nurse asked Dan, giving him a small chocolate when she was finished.

Dan nodded and wiped his tears away with his now bandaged hand. “Y-yes please, miss.” He unwrapped the sweet and popped it into his mouth, sucking on the chocolate as it melted in his mouth.

She called Dan’s mum and told her Dan’s story about falling and hurting himself, though she quietly mentioned that Mrs. Reaves suspected something else had happened with some of the older boys. “Your mum said your dad will pick you up in an hour. You’re free to stay in here until he gets here. You can go lay down on one of the beds if you’d like,” the nurse told Dan.

“I’ll send his things up with another student,” Mrs. Reaves said before leaving the room.

Dan nodded and thanked her. He hopped off the seat and went into the other room to lay on one of the beds. Dan cried silently to himself. He didn’t understand why the boys had been so mean to him. He’d never done anything to any of them before and he certainly wasn’t gay.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that Dan started to calm down. He felt a familiar feeling inside him, a strange warmth that radiated happiness. Dan remembered feeling this once before when his mum explained to him what a soulmate was. He smiled to himself, glad that at least his soulmate was happy even if he wasn’t. Dan fell asleep on the bed in the nurse’s office, letting the happiness from his soulmate comfort him.

***

~Thursday, May 7, 2009~

Dan woke up feeling confused. He’d just had a very strange dream and he wasn’t really sure what it was. He thought he was swimming in a bright blue ocean but then he was laying in a field looking up at a bright blue sky. The dream kept changing but no matter what it was, his surroundings were always blue.

The last thing he remembered before he woke up was seeing blue eyes, the same color as the water and the sky. He’d never seen those eyes before, he was certain of it. Dan knew he would’ve remembered if he’d seen eyes that were that bright blue with specks of green and yellow.

Dan remembered something one of his friends had said to him the other day; soulmates dream about each other, even if they’d never met before. Dan knew that must be what happened. He’d been dreaming about his soulmate.

The thought made Dan smile and he was far too awake to go back to sleep now. He lay there staring at his walls trying to picture them as the same color as his soulmate’s eyes.

He didn’t understand why he’d had a dream about his soulmate though since that usually didn’t happen at this age. Dan made a mental note to ask his mum in the morning.

Dan watched the sunrise from his bed and when his alarm finally went off he jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to greet his mum, eager to ask her about what happened.

“Daniel, you’re up early,” his mum said, surprised to see Dan was already awake.

“I’ve been up for hours, mum. I had a dream about my soulmate last night,” he said excitedly.

She frowned at Dan. “No you didn’t. That won’t happen for another year or two. You’re just letting your imagination get the better of you.”

“But mum, I really did. I saw his eyes in my dream. They’re such a pretty blue.” Dan realized he’d just said ‘he’ and frowned. He didn’t know his soulmate was a boy, how could he? But it seemed right to him. Dan just knew that his soulmate was a boy, he had a feeling.

His mum sighed and shook her head. “No you didn’t, sweetheart. You were just dreaming. Now go get ready for school, breakfast will be ready soon.”

Dan sighed and went back up to his bedroom to get ready. He sat down on his bed and wondered if maybe his mum had been right. Maybe the dream meant nothing.

Dan was starting to believe that he’d imagined the whole thing but then he felt something from his soulmate. He’d only ever felt happiness from his soulmate but this felt different, stronger somehow. It felt like when he was little and his mum would kiss his finger when he got a cut, or when she would tuck him into bed and read him a story, or that one time when his dad took him out to the park and they played for hours just to two of them. Dan didn’t realize it but he was grinning from ear to ear. He felt loved. He knew that his soulmate loved him and he was certain that he’d dreamt of his eyes and thought that maybe his soulmate had dreamt of his eyes too. Dan smiled and hoped his soulmate could feel that he loved him too.

***

~Monday, January 16, 2012~

Dan woke up and heard loud noises but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He rolled over and felt that his pillow was wet. Dan frowned and brought a hand up to his cheeks, discovering he was crying. It was him that was making the loud noises, it was him sobbing.

“Dan, what’s wrong?” Dan’s mum asked, turning on the light and walking over to his bed.

He shook his head and continued to sob. “It’s my soulmate, he’s really sad mum,” Dan managed to say.

She frowned and sat down, pulling Dan’s head onto her lap. “Shh, sweetheart, it’ll be okay,” she comforted, starting to rub Dan’s back and run her fingers through his hair.

Dan continued to sob for another twenty minutes, overwhelmed by how sad his soulmate was. He’d never felt this sad before, not even when he was bullied at school. This felt like such an intense sadness and it made Dan even sadder to know how bad his soulmate was hurting.

“Can you tell me why your soulmate is sad?” Dan’s mum asked when Dan had finally stopped sobbing and was now just crying silently. “Is there anything else you can feel from him?”

He shook his head and looked up at her. “No, he just feels so sad. He feels alone and like he’s missing someone,” Dan said, trying to focus more on the emotions that didn’t belong to him.

“Sweetheart, do you think it’s possible that someone close to your soulmate died?” she asked softly, still rubbing Dan’s back.

It started to make sense. His soulmate had just found out someone he loved died. Dan could feel that now, the feeling of mourning and despair. He nodded and frowned. “I think so, yeah. I can’t be entirely sure but that seems right.”

She nodded. “Alright, well I want you to lay down and try to think of some happy things. I know it’s hard but try to do it for your soulmate. You might be able to make him feel a little better.”

Dan nodded and moved back under the covers and curled up. “Okay,” he murmured. He watched his mum leave, turning the light off and shutting the door behind her. Dan sighed softly and tried to think of happy things: kittens, puppies, raindrops falling down the window, chocolate, warm blankets, rainbows, the sea. Dan thought of every happy thing he could think of. He eventually fell asleep once the emotions he felt from his soulmate lessened.

***

~Friday, April 24, 2015~

“Hey fag!” Dan heard a voice shout at him. He groaned internally and bit his lip. He knew who the voice belonged to; it was the same person that had been bullying him since he was seven and making his life a living hell. Dan wasn’t even sure why really because he’d only just found out that he was gay himself last summer. Of course Dan had suspected he was gay when he realized his soulmate was a boy, but even then Dan hadn’t been sure. He hadn’t told anyone, not about him being gay or about his soulmate being a boy. The only person Dan had ever told besides his mum, was his dog, and Dan was pretty sure he hadn’t spilled his secret. So why John and his friends assumed he was gay and bullied him for it was beyond Dan.

He knew better than to ignore them though, seeing as that usually made things worse, so Dan turned around and saw just what he’d suspected, John and three other boys walking towards him. “What?” Dan said once they were closer, feeling no need to yell.

“What’re you doing out here? You know damn well that’s my tree,” John spat.

Dan turned his head and looked at the tree he was standing under. He had a free period and was planning on getting ahead on his reading for his Shakespeare class. “Your tree? You don’t own it,” he countered. “Or anything else in this school,” Dan mumbled under his breath.

John’s fist collided with Dan’s jaw. “What did you say?” he asked, daring Dan to repeat himself.

He knew it was stupid and that he definitely shouldn’t talk back to the guy who’d just punched him and had on multiple occasions beaten him up, but Dan couldn’t help himself. “I said, you don’t own anything in this school. Just because you’re older than me doesn’t mean you can just push me around. We aren’t kids anymore.” Dan regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth and he saw John’s fists ball up. He gulped and braced himself for the worst.

The first few punches weren’t that bad, but John kept punching the same spot on Dan’s stomach and after an extra hard punch, he heard a crack. Dan’s eyes widened and for a moment he didn’t feel the pain, his adrenaline pumping.

John laughed when he heard the noise and knew he’d just cracked, if not broken, one of Dan’s ribs. He turned around like he was going to leave then spun around, his foot going up and hitting Dan in the stomach. One of his friends was standing behind Dan and when Dan stumbled backwards, he caught him then threw him down onto the ground. John stomped on Dan’s back then gestured for his friends to follow him.

Dan screamed out loudly when John kicked him, then even louder when he felt the sharp pain in his back. He hoped someone had heard him but considering they were outside alone, he wasn’t sure.

It wasn’t until Dan woke up that he realized he’d passed out. He wasn’t sure how long he was out for but the sun seemed to be in the same spot so he didn’t think it had been too long. Dan groaned softly and closed his eyes, willing the pain to end.

When the pain didn’t seem to lessen at all, he knew he needed to call for help; there was no way he would be able to walk. Dan yelled out in pain as he rolled onto his back, needing to get his phone from his front pocket. A few minutes later he’d managed to get his phone and call the front office of his school, giving them his name, location, and telling them what had happened.

The school nurse and a few other teachers rushed over to Dan and after examining him, they called an ambulance which arrived quickly and took him to A&E. After having a doctor look at his injuries and having an x-ray, Dan was given some painkillers and told he could go home but should stay in bed for at least a week before he could go back to school and all other activities were off limits.

Dan was glad to be home and was relieved that his injuries weren’t worse. His mum had made him some soup and helped him get situated in bed, which Dan thanked her for softly as she left the room. Dan had a few spoonfuls of soup then pushed the tray away, not feeling very hungry. He didn’t feel much of anything, except feeling like he was worthless. Dan had often wondered why John and his friends hurt him like they did but now he knew it had to be because nobody cared about him. He wasn’t even sure his soulmate would care about him. Surely if he did, he would’ve found him and saved him by now.

He started to sob, the weight of the day overwhelming him. Dan cried and cried, feeling like he would never stop crying. Eventually the tears stopped rolling down his cheeks and his sobs were replaced by hiccups. He felt guilty for doubting that his soulmate cared for him; Dan could feel his soulmate’s presence and knew he was thinking about him and trying to cheer him up.

Dan closed his eyes and thought of the blue eyes he’d first dreamt of when he was only nine. Of course that hadn’t been the only time those eyes had been in his dreams. The piercing blue entered his dreams in some form almost every single night, as if reminding Dan of the color he’d never seen before, taunting him.

One day, Dan told himself, one day he would meet his soulmate and they’d be happy together. He hadn’t realized it, but his soulmate had been sending him happy emotions and although it didn’t make Dan feel completely better, it helped to know he wasn’t alone.

The next three months were hell for Dan. The day Dan went back to school, he came home with a black eye. Then a few days after he came home with another to match. Two or three times a week John and his friends would give Dan another bruise, though they thankfully avoided his ribs. By the time June rolled around, there were more bruises covering Dan’s skin than there were places that weren’t bruised.

***

~Thursday, June, 11, 2015~

“Really Charlie, you don’t have to,” Dan whispered. “It’s fine that you didn’t get me anything.”

“But Dan, it’s your birthday. And I’m your friend,” Charlie countered. “I don’t have any money but I still want to give you something special.”

Dan blushed at this and leaned back against his headboard. He’d been woken up twenty minutes when one of his only friends, Charlie, had knocked on his window. Charlie had apologized for not getting Dan anything for his birthday, which started in ten minutes. Dan had insisted it was fine but Charlie said he’d come up with something he could give Dan that was free, a blowjob.

“So? What do you say?” Charlie asked softly. “Want a birthday blowjob?”

Dan blushed even deeper and shrugged. “Sure,” he murmured, hoping that his eagerness wasn’t obvious. He’d always found Charlie attractive but he knew it was pointless to get in a relationship with someone he knew wasn’t his soulmate, so Dan never acted on it.

“Not now, we have to wait until it’s your birthday,” he insisted.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. “Okay, whatever. What do we do until then?”

Charlie looked Dan up and down and licked his lips. “Well, you don’t look like you’re hard yet. We should fix that.”

“Yeah, alright,” Dan said, moving his hand to the front of his pajama pants and applying a little bit of pressure. It had been ages since Dan had done this. Although teenage boys usually had very active hormones and seemed to always be horny, Dan had been so preoccupied with John and his friends that he just hadn’t even thought about doing it.

“Feel good?” Charlie asked, watching Dan with a smirk.

Dan nodded. “Yeah, fuck it’s been a while. Been busy with all of John’s crap,” he said under his breath, moaning as he started to properly palm himself now.

Charlie nodded in understanding and moved closer to Dan. He pulled Dan’s pajama bottoms and boxers down in one go, leaving him in just his shirt. “Almost midnight,” he whispered, laying down between Dan’s legs.

He whimpered softly and squirmed, no longer trying to hide how eager he was. Dan bit down on his lip to keep quiet, not wanting anyone to hear him and come in. He gasped softly when he felt Charlie’s tongue lick at the head. Dan gripped onto his covers as Charlie teased him, only kissing and licking along Dan’s cock at first. Soon enough Charlie took Dan into his mouth, causing Dan to let out a quiet moan.

Dan tilted his head back and tangled his fingers in Charlie’s hair. “Fuck,” he whispered. Dan feels tugging on his balls and thinks it’s Charlie. He lifts his head and looks down, frowning when he sees Charlie’s hands on his thighs and nowhere near his balls. Dan gasped when he felt the sensation again and it’s then that he realizes it must be his soulmate. Dan blushed, realizing his soulmate must be able to feel what’s happening to him as well. He keeps quiet, far too embarrassed to tell Charlie about this.

It takes Dan a few minutes to realize that he’s feeling not only his own pleasure, but the pleasure of his soulmate as well. Everything is intensified and it feels so wonderful. Dan makes a mental note to thank Charlie later for giving him a better birthday present than he’d planned.

He didn’t notice the invisible hand moving away from his balls until he feels a cold wetness at his rim. Dan’s eyes widen slightly as he realizes what his soulmate is about to do and he whimpers from the anticipation. He doesn’t feel much pleasure from his soulmate but Dan certainly feels enough of his own. Dan assumes his soulmate has probably never done this before and didn’t seem to be enjoying it quite as much as Dan was.

Dan feels a little guilty for getting so much pleasure when his soulmate isn’t getting as much in return. But the guilt he felt quickly disappears when he feels the finger move all the way inside him, and pleasure to match his own coming from his soulmate. “Oh fuck,” he moaned, voice still just a whisper.

A second finger is added and Dan had almost forgotten that Charlie was here sucking him off. His cock twitched in his mouth and he licked his lips. Dan had to bite down on his lip to keep from moaning loudly when he felt the two fingers brush his prostate, although he knows half of the pleasure he feels doesn’t belong to him.

“Close,” Dan managed to whisper, giving Charlie just enough time to pull his head back and start stroking Dan. He threw his head back and pulled at the blankets as he felt two orgasms, his own and his soulmate’s. Dan had never felt this much pleasure at once and for a few seconds he was worried he would pass out.

He heard Charlie’s voice and Dan opened his eyes, not even having realized he’d closed them. “Sorry, what?”

Charlie grinned and rolled his eyes. “I said I should get going before my parents realize I left,” he said, repeating himself. “I’m glad you enjoyed your present. Happy Birthday, Dan.”

Dan thanked him and waved to his friend before he cleaned himself and curled up under his covers. He was thoroughly spent and gratefully welcomed sleep.

***

~Saturday, June 13, 2015~

June 13, 2015 was the worst day of Dan’s life.

The day had started pretty great. He’d had his final exam the day before so he got to sleep in and was woken up by his mum bringing him his favourite breakfast in bed, pancakes and eggs with a bowl of fresh fruit.

“Thanks mum,” Dan said to her, grinning as he looked over all the food in his lap. “This looks amazing!”

“Anything for you, birthday boy,” she said. She kissed the top of Dan’s head. “What time are your friends coming over?”

Dan had already started eating, too eager to wait another second. “Right after their exam. They have a French exam,” he said. He was a year ahead in French, he’d started taking it a year earlier than his friends had, so Dan had already taken his French exam earlier that week which meant his summer holiday had already started.

“That sounds great. Your dad is just finishing up with the decorations downstairs and I’m off to pick up the cake and some snacks. I’ll see you in a bit,” she said, smiling at Dan then leaving.

He waved to her and mumbled a thanks through a mouthful of food.

Dan spent the next half hour in bed eating and checking his phone. He saw he had a text from Charlie asking if Dan could meet him at the park before the party started. Dan blushed as he remembered what happened the last time he’d seen his friend and wondered what it could be about. He texted Charlie back and told him he would meet him there in twenty minutes, giving himself just enough time to get ready.

“Hey Charlie!” Dan shouted, waving to his friend when he spotted him. The smile fell from his face when he saw John and his friends there. He knew this couldn’t be good. “John? What’re you doing here?” he said when he got a bit closer, not wanting to shout.

John scoffed at Dan and shoved his shoulder. “Don’t get too close, I don’t want to catch anything from you,” he said, giving Dan a disgusted look.

“What’re you talking about?” Dan asked.

“Don’t play dumb, fag. Charlie told us all about what happened the other night. How you begged him to suck your cock and you wouldn’t shut up about it until he did. He even told us how you wouldn’t shut up even when he was doing it, said you couldn’t stop moaning,” John said.

Dan frowned and looked over to Charlie who was standing behind John’s friends, sneering at Dan but wasn’t quite meeting his gaze. “Charlie? You- you told them that?”

Charlie looked at Dan properly and nodded once, not saying anything.

“I can’t believe you. I thought you were my friend. I never thought you’d do something like this. How could you, Char-” Dan’s words were cut off when John punched him hard in the arm. He barely had time to recover before John punched him again, this time in the jaw, and one of his friends kicked him in the back.

“Faggot!”

“Fucking homo!”

“Why don’t you just die?”

Dan wasn’t sure when he’d fallen onto the ground but here he was, laying down in the grass with John and his friends all taking turns kicking him. He was sobbing, both from the physical pain but also because he’d never felt betrayed like this before.

“Stop it! Don’t hurt him! Stop it!” Dan heard, unsure of where the voice came from. He looked to Charlie, the only possible explanation, but he was standing there in silence. “Leave him alone!” This time Dan was sure he’d heard the voice from inside his head and it didn’t sound like a voice he’d ever heard before.

His vision started to blur and he couldn’t see anything. Dan let out one last shout before passing out.

Dan didn’t remember his friends finding him but when he asked his mum, she said they’d walked past the park on their way over and saw him laying there on the ground. Dan accepted what she said and bit his lip, trying to ignore the pain. They were on the way to A&E, Dan’s dad was driving and his mum was sitting in the back with him.

They finally arrived but Dan had to wait in the car while his dad went in to get a wheelchair since Dan couldn’t walk. A nurse came out with his dad and kindly helped Dan maneuver himself into the chair then pushed him inside. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked once they were inside.

“I- these guys were beating me up and I dunno, I guess I passed out,” Dan murmured, not wanting to say too much.

“Who were the boys who hurt you? Did you know them?”

He bit his lip and nodded. “Yeah, I go to school with them but they’re two years ahead of me.”

“Why did they attack you?”

Dan looked down and knew he couldn’t tell the truth. “I- I dunno. They’ve never liked me,” he said; it wasn’t a total lie.

The nurse nodded and dropped it, knowing she wouldn’t get much more out of Dan. “Alright, is there anything else that happened during the attack? Anything unusual or anything we need to know?”

“Everything hurts but nothing too bad. My head is killing me though, not sure why,” Dan said. He saw a few people rush in, one of them was carrying a boy with black hair who looked a few years older than Dan. Dan watched them rush to the front desk and heard them say something about how the boy’s soulmate had been hurt badly. He shook his head.

“Daniel, did you hear anything during the attack? Any strange voices?”

Dan frowned and looked at her. “Yeah, actually. I heard this guy’s voice but I didn’t see anyone. But it must’ve just been someone walking past, right?”

The nurse looked at Dan’s mum and gave her a knowing look. “Alright, I think that’s enough for right now. Let’s get your information and I’ll get you a room.”

Dan was confused about why she stopped asking him questions but didn’t complain, his head really was hurting him. He sat next to his mum while his dad went to fill out some paperwork.

He lifted his head from his mum’s shoulder when he heard some people talking to the nurse he’d just spoken too. Dan saw one of them point over to him and frowned, wondering what they were saying.

Dan tried to listen to them but couldn’t hear much more than just a few words. A minute later another nurse came over and gave them a warm smile. “Daniel, you’ll be in room 219. I can take you there now. Mrs. Howell, could you go over to the front desk, we have a few questions for you.” Dan gave his mum a half smile and let the nurse push his wheelchair down the corridor to his room.

The nurse gave him a full inspection, checking over all of his injuries to see how serious they were. He was relieved when she told him his worst injury was in his ribs, at least one seemed to be broken and he would need an x-ray to be sure. Dan changed into the cloth gown, needing only a little help, and was taken directly down the hall to get an x-ray.

The results showed that Dan had two broken ribs and three cracked ribs. Dan was relieved to hear he wouldn’t need surgery and would be able to leave in about a week.

“Honey, your father and I have something we want to discuss with you,” his mum said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. “We’ve been discussing this for a while but we didn’t want to tell you in case it didn’t work out. But, well, your father got the call yesterday and it’s official, we’re moving.”

Dan frowned and blinked a few times, not sure he’d heard correctly. “We’re moving?”

She nodded. “Yes, to Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It’s just about an hour away so you’ll still be able to visit your friends on the weekends and during the holidays. But we think it’s best that we move away from these boys that keep hurting you like this.”

“Yes!” Dan shouted, unable to keep from grinning. He was so excited to finally get away from this stupid town and was glad he’d never have to see Charlie or John or anyone else.

His mum laughed softly and smiled. “I’m glad to hear you’re excited. The call your father got was to tell us we bought a house. We looked at it online and your dad went last weekend to look at it and we put a bid in and we got it. It’s all ready to move in so we can move as soon as you get out of here. We can pack up everything over the next week or so while you’re still staying here and as soon as you’re out, we’ll be able to move.”

Dan smiled and held her hand. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“There’s actually something else you should know. Remember that boy we saw earlier being carried in?”

Dan nodded, frowning slightly.

“Well, that’s your soulmate. His friends brought him in after he collapsed on the beach. They said they heard him screaming at someone not to hurt you. He was the person you heard before,” she explained.

“But how? How did I hear him?” Dan asked, not understanding what she was saying.

“You both experienced what’s called a Heightened Soullink. It’s something that occurs when someone is able to see the things their soulmate sees and hear the things their soulmate hears. It’s very rare and only happens when one of the pair is experiencing a traumatic event; but even then the link between two soulmates has to be very strong. His friends said they overheard what you were saying to the nurse and mentioned it to her. As it happens, Philip was complaining about the same injuries as you were.”

Dan nodded, though he still didn’t fully understand. He was tired and his head still hurt. One thing got his attention though. “Philip? His name is Philip?”

His mum nodded and smiled. “Yes, he goes by Phil. He’s in a room down the hall. He’s still unconscious but he’s not hurt. A Heightened Soullink can be very draining.”

He yawned, proving her point. “Phil,” Dan whispered softly, testing out the name. He smiled and his eyes started to droop.

“We’ll let you get some rest. I’ll be right out in the hall if you need me,” she said.

Dan nodded and closed his eyes once they left, easily falling asleep, though he suspected it was partly due to him being on painkillers.

Dan woke up an hour later when he heard someone making far too much noise. He opened his eyes and saw a man in a white coat standing there.

“I’m sorry to wake you, Daniel. I’m Dr. Rosen. I wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing,” he said.

He shrugged and looked around the small room. “Alright, just a bit tired.”

“No pain?”

Dan shook his head. “No, my ribs hurt a little but nothing I can’t manage.”

Dr. Rosen nodded and write something down on the clipboard he was carrying. “Alright, that’s very good. I wanted to inform you that your soulmate, Phil, has woken up. Would you like to see him?”

Dan’s heart leapt and he heard beeping. He blushed and realized his heart rate was being monitored. “Yes, I would.”

He smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll send him in shortly. Try to get some more rest.”

He nodded at Dr. Rosen but once he left the room, Dan felt wide awake. He was going to meet his soulmate. He would be able to talk to him and properly see him and touch him. Dan was far too excited to even think about sleeping now.

Dan looked up when he heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” he said, trying to ignore the beeping he heard. He saw a head peek in and smiled. 

“Dan? I’m Phil, your-” the boy started to say.

“Soulmate,” he whispered, finishing his sentence for him. “I’d recognize your eyes anywhere.” Dan smiled when he saw the boy grin and walk in, shutting the door behind him. Phil looked pretty nice considering what had happened, though Dan had to remind himself that he was the one that got beaten up, not Phil. Phil was wearing black skinny jeans and a blue shirt which Dan thought complimented his eyes nicely.

“Really? You’ve dreamt about my eyes too?” Phil asked.

Dan nodded and blushed. “Yeah, almost every night since I was ten,” he confessed. “Oh, you can sit if you want.” Dan nodded towards the chair beside the bed.

Phil smiled and moved over to take the seat. “So I know you’ve probably been asked this a billion times but what happened?”

“You were there,” he said softly. “At least, sort of. It was so weird like I could feel you in my head. Suddenly I knew you were seeing and hearing everything that was happening and when you screamed, I- I could hear you.” Dan shook his head, trying to shake off the memory. “It was weird.”

Phil nodded “Yeah, at first it started out like the other times when you got hurt. But then it changed and everything around me got really blurry and then all I could see was those guys, their fists coming towards you. It made me so angry to just watch it all happen. And the things they said to you…” he trailed off and looked at Dan. “Is that why they did that? Because you like guys?”

Dan nodded and looked at Phil but didn’t quite meet his gaze. “Yeah, they found out what happened on my birthday,” he murmured, feeling a bit awkward for mentioning it, especially considering Phil had been there too.

Phil looked at him like he didn’t know what he was talking about.

He realized that, of course, Phil hadn’t known it was his birthday. “You know, two nights ago when I was getting sucked off and you fingered yourself,” Dan said with a slight smirk.

His eyes widened and his cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “Oh, uh, yeah,” Phil said nervously. “So that was on your birthday?”

Dan nodded and it was his turn to blush. It had been incredibly hot when it was happening but now Dan felt awkward talking about it. “Yeah, it was my birthday present from a friend. Well I guess he’s not actually my friend. But it started off as a joke with him saying he didn’t have money to get me anything but then we just sort of kept going.”

“What do you mean he’s not really your friend?” Phil asked Dan quietly.

He chewed on his lip for a moment. “Well he told those guys what happened. Well not really, he lied about it and said that I begged for it and wouldn’t shut up until he did it. Which isn’t what happened. I thought he was joking when he offered but then we started making out and it just sort of happened and-”

“Dan, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he said, cutting Dan off. “I’m not judging you or anything. You guys fooled around a bit, that isn’t a crime.”

Dan smiled and felt relieved that Phil wasn’t judging him. He nodded and continued to tell him what happened. “Anyways, he told those guys that he sucked me off and I really enjoyed it, which was mostly because of what you did by the way,” Dan said, smirking at Phil again. “But they found out and they took it as proof that I’m gay, which I’m not even sure what I am honestly, and they beat me up.”

Phil blushed at Dan’s comment and smiled. “Dan, are these the same guys that have been hurting you for the past few years?”

He nodded and looked down, fiddling with the sheets. Dan had almost forgotten that Phil must’ve felt a lot of other things before the other day. He wondered just how much he knew. “Yeah. It’s been getting worse lately though, but I’m sure you know that. My parents decided we’re gonna move to somewhere safer.”

“To where?” Phil asked.

“Rawtenstall, Lancashire. Mum said it’s not too far from where we live now, just about an hour. But it’s far enough away that- Phil, why are you grinning like that?”

“Because that’s where I live! We’re gonna be neighbors,” Phil said, grinning at Dan like an idiot. “Or at least we’ll live in the same town, which is good enough for me!”

Dan laughed and smiled. “Seriously? That’s great! And it’ll be nice to know someone there, especially since it’s you.” He hadn’t even thought of it before, that he might be moving further away from Phil, but Dan was glad he wasn’t.

Phil smiled at Dan and moved the chair a bit closer to the bed so he could hold Dan’s hand. “I can’t wait to show you around. You’ll love all my friends too, they’re really cool. When are you moving?”

Dan’s heart fluttered when Phil hesitantly reached for his hand. He could tell Phil was nervous so he reached his hand out too, linking their fingers together once Phil grabbed his hand. “When I get out of here, so in a week. They have to keep me to make sure my ribs heal and stuff,” he shrugged.

“So they’re broken? I thought they were but I wasn’t really listening to the nurse earlier,” Phil admitted.

“Yeah, two are broken and three are cracked. But they say I’ll be good as new in a few weeks. I’m just glad I didn’t have to have surgery and that it wasn’t too serious.”

Phil squeezed Dan’s hand gently, making Dan’s heart leap. “Me too.”

They spent the next half hour talking. Dan listened to Phil talk about the school he would go to, and the places he would take him to once he was better. Dan was even more excited to move now that he knew it was a nice town. Mostly he was just excited to be closer to his soulmate.

After a few more minutes though, Dan could barely keep his eyes open. He tried to stay awake, wanting to keep talking to Phil but it seemed that would have to wait.

“Get some sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up,” Phil said softly. “We can talk more later. For now you just rest up and get better, okay?”

Dan nodded and gave Phil a sleepy smile before giving in and falling asleep, hand still in Phil’s.

Dan was glad that Phil seemed to really care about him, despite having just met him. Although in some ways, they’d known each other their whole lives. It was a bit strange when Dan thought about it, to be linked to some stranger that the universe had decided he was supposed to be with. Dan had sometimes doubted that he’d ever meet his soulmate, and that even if he did, his soulmate wouldn’t love him. But talking to Phil, being in the same room with him, made Dan certain that Phil did love him, that he did care. He knew that the universe had been right when it paired them together. Dan felt happier, safer, with Phil there next to him.


End file.
